


Every Bone Screaming

by tommygirl



Category: Veritas: The Quest
Genre: Collection: Fandom Stocking 2015, F/M, Fluff, Genderbending, Genderswap, Post-Series, girl!Nikko Zond - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-09
Updated: 2016-01-09
Packaged: 2018-05-12 17:20:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5674279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tommygirl/pseuds/tommygirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Calvin isn't sure of a lot anymore and it's Nikko's fault.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Every Bone Screaming

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Medie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Medie/gifts).



> Happy holidays! So this was supposed to be a ficlet and the characters were just not working with me on that, so it's a bit longer than originally planned (and there might be a second one). Thank you for all your hard work on the fandom stocking challenge and all the fun you bring to fandom. Besides, you're one of the smart ones that appreciates girl!Nikko! Enjoy!

Calvin spotted her the minute he opened the door to the small pub. She was sitting in the corner, head ducked slightly, twirling a strand of her long brown hair around her finger, and oblivious to everything going on around her. He shook his head and moved across the room, glaring at the men leering in her direction, where she was curled up in the corner booth with her phone and a book. Cal slipped into the booth next to Nikko, part annoyed and part satisfied by the way she jumped slightly when he tapped his hand on the table.

He said, "Your father is looking for you."

"Had a few calls to make without him and Vincent breathing down my neck," she replied, taking a sip of her soda.

Calvin wasn't sure what he had expected, but it wasn't such a simple response. Things with Nikko Zond were rarely so easy.

"You okay, Cal?"

"I was going to ask you that," Cal replied.

She stared at him and said, "Me?"

"You took off, Nikko."

"I went across the street. Everyone was busy and I figured-"

He cut her off, "You left without telling anyone where you were going."

"I'm almost twenty years old, Chuck. I don't really need a babysitter these days."

"Don't start. You know that's not what this is about. We're a team and with DORNA always dogging us, it's not safe to go off on your own," Cal replied. He held her gaze in a challenge, half-expecting her to snap at him.

She shrugged and said, "Fair enough. Sorry."

He quirked his eyebrow and reached out to touch her forehead. He said, "You feeling okay?"

She pushed his hand away and said, "You can be such an obnoxious ass. I don't know why I even like you."

He grinned and said, "You like me, huh?"

Her face flushed and she bit down on her lip, looking so damn adorable that Cal couldn't really be helped for leaning forward and kissing her. It was like he was compelled by her cuteness.

She placed her hands on his chest, pushing him back, and said, "Cal, do you even-"

He kissed her again, practically pulling her into his lap, because he didn't really want to talk right then. He had been resisting the urge to kiss her for months and he wanted to enjoy it before reality kicked back in. Nikko was pliant in his hands, allowing him to move her until she was flush against him, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know where she learned to kiss like that, but when he pulled back, he wasn't expecting to feel quite so breathless.

Nikko was watching him carefully, brushing her fingers through the hairs at the nape of his neck, and smiling in a way he wasn't used to seeing, but he wanted to. He liked that he was the one to make her smile like that. She was so beautiful in that moment and he kissed her again, even though he knew he was crossing over into something he wasn't sure he could handle.

She pressed her hand into his chest and tilted her head curiously as she said, "Not that I'm complaining, but what brought that on?"

Cal wasn't sure he had an answer as to why he could no longer stop himself from doing something he had considered a lot more than he liked to admit to himself, but he realized Nikko deserved more from him. It suddenly dawned on him exactly what he had done and all the ways it would end badly. He pried himself out of Nikko's arms. He ran his hand over his face and gripped the table tightly until Nikko grabbed a hold of it, brushing her thumb over the top of his hand.

She said, "Breathe, Chuck."

"Your father is going to murder me."

"We kiss and you're thinking about my dad? I'm a bit-"

"-stop. You know that's not...shit," Cal replied. He noticed Nikko was still holding his hand and he tugged her back into his personal space. He pressed kisses to the corners of her mouth when she started to frown. He said, "This is not how I thought about that going."

"You thought about it, huh?"

"I'm not a complete idiot, Nikko," Cal responded.

"I don't know. Took you long enough. I thought I was going to have to get us locked in a broom closet or something," Nikko said. Cal's head perked up and he looked at her in confusion. She sighed and commented, "Why are the smart ones always so fucking stupid?"

Cal traced his fingers along her arm and said, "This is a big deal, Nicky."

She sighed and said, "It doesn't have to be. It's you and me."

"I think your father and the team would disagree. It's not just you and me. This effects a lot of people," Cal said, but even as he thought about what he should do, he couldn't help but curl in closer to Nikko, pressing his lips firmly against hers. There was no hesitation in the way Nikko responded and it hit Cal right in the gut how much he wanted this.

It was a crazy thing to want.

He pulled back, clearing his throat, trying to find the right words. "We need to head back. Your dad wanted to be set up in the caverns by twilight."

"Cal..."

"I'm sorry. I'm not sure...this is a lot to process."

"I get that," she said. When he met her gaze, her expression was understanding and he wanted to throttle her for being so calm. She was usually the one freaking out and creating scenes. He had no idea what to make of the sudden change in roles and it only frazzled him more. She added softly, "Don't over think this, Cal."

"Someone needs to," he said more harshly than he meant to. He scratched his head, hated the way Nikko withdrew a little on herself and the smile faded away. He added quickly, "Sorry. Not..."

"It's alright."

"Nikko, I'm not-" Cal's voice trailed off because he had no idea what else to say.   He ducked his head and tried to think.

A finger snapped in front of him and Cal immediately looked up. Nikko smiled at him and said, "We're okay, Cal." She slid out of the booth and stood up, reaching over him to grab her book and phone. She added, "You can let me know once you've found your words."

"You're a pest, you know that?" he said.

She grinned at him and shrugged. "I'm gifted, Chuck."

Cal knew he needed to deal with this, but his brain and heart were telling him different things. Maybe if he was lucky, Nikko would get bored waiting for him and move on.

Except he didn't particularly like the idea of that either.

**

One minute Calvin was snapping at Nikko for shining her stupid flashlight in his eyes again while she complained about god knew what and the next thing he knew there was a brilliant blue flash of light charging at them.   He had just enough time to worry that Nikko was going to get killed before everything went black.

"Calvin..."

Cal groaned and turned onto his side, muttering for Nikko to shut up.

"Cal, please open your eyes."

That hit him in the gut because Nikko did not say "please" or sound like that when she talked to him. He blinked a few times before focusing his gaze on Nikko, her hair framing her face and her blue eyes shining with genuine concern. He tried to smile, but he knew it came off wrong when Nikko's face twisted further into worry.

He sat up and clutched his head with one hand, while the other gripped Nikko's shoulder, helping to balance him. "What was that? Where are we?"

"Still in the cave. I think the sculpture sensed us or something and went crazy."

"It's an artifact. It can't go-"

"-it hit you with a beam of light and created a small cave in."

"Shit."

"Yeah, that about sums it up. Never a dull day for us. I managed to talk to Vincent and give him our coordinates, but it could be awhile. You really okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine." His fingers wandered of their own volition to the cut on her forehead. He asked, "How are you?"

"This is nothing. I've been hurt worse," she said.

Cal's frown deepened as he thought about the truth of that statement. He grabbed her chin and looked her over. He asked, "You hurt anywhere else?"

"Some scrapes and bruises. It's fine."

Cal vividly recalled the terror he felt when the light blasted them, not for himself, but for Nikko. She could have died and she was brushing it off like it was nothing. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying to calm down because he knew he was being irrational, but she always did this to him. He was proud of himself for simply responding, "Well, that's great."

"Yeah, Neosporin party in my room later," she replied dryly. She reached out toward him and he dodged it. She sighed, like she was the put-out party, and added, "You were the one that got hit, Cal."

"Okay."

"Except your bitchface leads me to believe it's anything but okay. What are you mad about now?" she asked in exasperation.

"Nice, Nicky."

"What did I do?"

He shut his eyes and took a deep breath in and then out. When he opened his eyes, he said, "Sorry."

She leaned closer and brushed her fingers through his hair, garnering a groan when she touched a cut on his scalp. She said, "You're a grump when you're hurt."

He rolled his eyes and replied, "Like you're the ideal patient. Most of the time you won’t even admit something’s wrong.”

"I'm fine, Cal. Mostly worried about you," she admitted and he could see that it was more honest than she had planned to be.

"Probably a mild concussion, but I should be okay," he replied. He noticed that her wrist was swelling up and said, "That's not nothing, Nikko."

"I've hurt it worse training with Vincent."

"We're a team and we need to be honest with each other about what's going on."

"It's a sprained wrist, Cal. I'm not bleeding out."

He shook his head because he really didn't want that image in his head. He braced her wrist between his fingers and said, "How does that feel?"

"Dull ache. You offering to kiss it better?" Nikko replied with a mischievous grin that hit him straight in the gut.

He let go of her hand and said, "Can you be serious for more than five seconds at a time?"

"Cal-"

"No. No, definitely not," he replied, not sure if the emphasis was for him or Nikko. He tried to seem unaffected by her offer, but he could still taste her chapstick from earlier that day from their first kiss. They had danced around this thing between them for over a year without any issues and now that safety barrier was gone. Ignoring things probably hadn't been the best way to deal with it, but it had worked for them and Cal ruined it. He wished he could put the blame on Nikko, write it off as one of her crazy stunts, but it was all him. He had kissed her. He had wanted nothing more in that moment then for everyone to know she was his.

Except she wasn't. There were so many reasons that getting into a romantic relationship with Nikko was about the worst thing he could do; and logic told him to be terrified by the very idea of it.   It was an insane idea - him and Nikko. She was the daughter of his boss, a man who took protective to a whole other level. She was only nineteen years old and nowhere near as worldly as she tried to pretend. Her impulsivity frightened him almost as much as the way she was always able to get under his skin and bait him into things.   But the scariest thing was how nonchalant she was about her wellbeing. In the few years he had known her, she had been shot, poisoned by a scorpion and nearly sacrificed to a weird Sun God. If he let her in, that would be it. Sophie's death had been hard, but if Cal lost Nikko, he wasn't sure he would be able to keep functioning.

The smart play was obvious. Calvin created more distance between them and said, "Let me know if that changes and you experience any pain."

"Sure thing, Chuck."

"And stop it."

"Stop what?"

"The kiss was a mistake," Cal replied.

"Which one? Because you kissed me more than once," Nikko countered.

Cal groaned, his head pounding, and said, "Nicky, I mean it."

"Okay. Mistake. Got it," Nikko replied with a tiny shake of her head.

Cal noticed her forehead was still bleeding. He shoved his hands under his armpits to keep himself from touching her again, but he squinted to get a better look at it. Nikko was always quick to complain about the small things, but he had learned the hard way that wasn't the case when she was actually hurt. He said, "That looks like a bad cut."

"And I'd like to point out once again that I'm not the one that got knocked out. I'm fine so stop fussing," she replied, wiping the back of her hand over the wound. She eyed him over in a way that was scarily reminiscent of Vincent - what the hell was he teaching her - and added, "I appreciate the concern, but I don't need you or anyone else to take care of me. I'm more than capable of doing that for myself."

"Don't be so damn stubborn all the time. We all worry about the other members of our team because we care about each other," Cal argued.

"I'm not the one being stubborn."

"I'm not stubborn," Cal responded.

"Uh-huh. Sure."

"Nikko, I swear to God, I'm not in the mood-"

"-I know you don't think that kiss, or kisses to be accurate, were a mistake. You seemed to be enjoying yourself at the time, but god forbid you get out of your own way and admit it."

"Learn that one in a freshman Psych class?"

"Are you trying to pick a fight?"

He bit down his lip and sighed. She had a point and he hated that. She shook her head and said, "If you didn't like the kiss, you could have said so. Somehow I'd find a way to go on."

"Of course I liked the kisses, Nikko, but it doesn't make it any less stupid on my part."

"Gee thanks."

Cal groaned. "What do you want from me?"

"How about a little honesty? What is it with all of you - so obsessed with the secrets of the past that you can't see what's in front of your face unless it's attached to a map? You're all so willing to die to understand the past that you're missing out on everything in the here-and-now. It's kind of sad."

"What we do is important."

She sighed and said, "I didn't say it wasn't."

"We're trying to save the world."

She shrugged. "Maybe."

"You're unbelievable."

"Yeah, _I'm_ the problem," Nikko snapped.

"I'm not going to fight with you. It won't change my mind."

"Fine."

"This..." He motioned between them. "...is exactly why nothing can ever happen between us."

"Sure. Whatever you say, Chuck," she said with such disappointment that it made Calvin want to disappear. Except he was stuck with her in a cave because this was his life. She shot him a "fuck-you" kind of smile, the kind that he hadn't seen from her in a long time, and added, "I hope one day you take your head out of your ass and notice the world has been passing you before it's too late."

"Learn that in a fortune cookie?" Cal snapped.

"Something like that," she huffed out.

Cal glared at her and replied, "I don't know what I was thinking. You're still the same reckless and immature brat you've always been. You're not even my type."

He regretted it the minute the words were out. He noticed the hurt flicker across Nikko's face before she shut down completely. She crossed her arms protectively across her chest and said, "Message received loud and clear."

"Nicky..."

"Shut up, Cal," she replied, shooting him a look that was patently Nikko, a mix of exasperation and anger.

Cal shut his eyes and forced himself to stay strong, replayed the lists of all the ways this was a phenomenally bad idea. He was twenty-six years old and she was a kid. He needed to be the smart one about this, to not rush into anything that either of them would regret. He needed to protect them both from this thing between them before it ruined everything.

**

Maggie placed the small bandage on his shoulder and said, "You should be good to go. Juliet or I will check on you hourly to make sure the concussion hasn't gotten worse, but you and Nikko got lucky."

"We were stuck in a cave for three hours, Maggie.   Hardly lucky," Cal commented, hopping down off the bed.

"Did something happen in there? Nikko looked shaken up," Maggie replied.

"It's fine. You know what she's like. Always gotta be upset about something," Calvin lied.

"Right," Maggie replied, turning and putting away the medical kit. Calvin started to make for the door when Maggie added, "You know how much I care about you, Cal, so I hope you've thought long and hard about what you're doing."

"Huh?"

"I'm not blind. I've seen how you look at Nikko. I've seen how she looks at you too."

"I don't-"

"-you're allowed to have a life outside of work, Cal."

"Not with the boss' daughter who's six-and-a-half years younger than me. Doctor Zond and Vincent would murder me. And it's not...she's got a crush because I'm the only guy she's around most of the time that's not her father or a father-figure."

Maggie laughed at him. Literally laughed in his face and shook her head. She said, "Nikko has plenty of choices. She's a beautiful, smart girl."

"I know that," Cal replied, resolutely not thinking about all of Nikko's other choices. Off the look on Maggie's face, he said, "It wasn't...of course...I have eyes, Maggie."

"If you're not careful, someone else is going to come along and snatch her up while you're still trying to figure things out."

Cal swallowed down the momentary panic at the thought of Nikko looking at someone else the way she had at him in that pub. It was stupid. He couldn't have it both ways and the risk of a relationship with Nikko far outweighed everything else. He rubbed at the bandage on his shoulder and replied, "If Nikko can find someone crazy enough to put up with her crap then good for her."

He expected Maggie to argue with him, but instead she shrugged and said, "If you say so."

"I do."

"Okay."

" _Okay_ ," he replied.

"Both you and Solomon...you're so terrified of losing her that you're making it happen. I hope you're both ready to deal with it when it finally happens," Maggie said, squeezing his shoulder as she walked past him and out of the room.

Calvin had no idea what that meant. Nikko would still be around. She wouldn't be his, and while sometimes, he was convinced it might kill him if he didn't just grab her and kiss her, he couldn't do it. Neither of them really needed that kind of complication. There had to be boundaries and since Nikko was incapable of setting them, it fell to him.

**

Cal came down the stairs of the bed-and-breakfast bright and early. After Maggie woke him up again at six am, he decided to just stay awake and get started on transcribing the marble carvings from the cave yesterday. He did not expect to find Nikko sitting on a small bench by the door, huddled in on herself with her head in her hands and a bag at her feet. He planned to just ignore her dramatics and go about his morning, but his legs moved of their own accord. Before he could stop himself, he had crossed the room and knelt down in front of her, squeezing her leg and willing her to look at him.

"Of course you're here," she muttered, wiping haphazardly at the tears on her face.

His eyes widened and he reached out to brush his fingers over her cheek. He said, "You're crying."

She slapped his hand away. "Go away, Cal."

"Nikko, what's wrong?"

She scoffed. "Contrary to popular belief, even us spoiled brats are capable of feelings."

"Nicky..."

"Spare me the sage words of advice, okay? I'm done. I won't bother you again. I got the message loud and clear."

"That was not-"

"-we're not friends, you and me. This whole thing has been a colossal mistake. You're off the hook and I'm getting out of here."

"But we're not..."

A car horn honked and Cal saw a taxi pull up. Nikko stood up and heaved her bag over her shoulder. Cal grabbed her hand and Nikko looked down at it and then to Cal, waiting for something. He knew what she wanted and he wished he could give that to her, but he couldn't do it. If he let Nikko into his heart, he wouldn't be able to let her go...and that way laid disaster.

"Does your dad know you're leaving?" Cal asked. Even he could hear what a stupid coward he was in that moment. Why couldn't he just ask her to stay and talk to him?

"I'm sure he'll figure it out," she said.

Cal put his hand on the door and said, "Nikko..."

"Vincent knows. I've got finals next week, so it's probably better this way.   See ya, Chuck."

"Yeah, sure. I'll see you when we get back to New York."

She bit down on her lip and looked like she might cry again. He expected her to make a snarky comment, but instead, she wrapped her arms around him in a makeshift hug and kissed him on the cheek. She didn't say anything as she pulled away and opened the door. Cal tried to ignore the pit in his stomach as he watched her walk away.

**

The first thing he noticed when he entered the VERITAS offices four days later was the envelope addressed to him in Nikko's chicken scratch on his desk. He groaned and snatched it up before anyone else noticed. He had hoped things would be back to normal when they got back. He shoved the note into his bag and sat down at his station, booting up his computer so that he could sync his devices with the latest information they had collected.

Cal didn't even think anything about the envelope until Solomon appeared looking slightly frantic. His eyes locked on Calvin and he asked, "Has she called you?"

"What?"

"Cal, now is not the time to pretend you two aren't-"

"-Doctor Zond, I don't know what you're talking about," Cal replied.

Solomon seemed to believe him, but Cal could see the tension thrumming off the man. He waved a letter around and said, "My daughter took off. Do you know anything about this?"

"What? No. I knew she was coming back here, but she said Vincent knew," Cal replied.

"Solomon, calm down," Vincent said, appearing behind him.

"She's missing."

"She's not missing. She left," Vincent argued.

Solomon turned on Vincent and asked, "Did you know?"

He shrugged and said, "I told you to be sure of what you were doing. I warned you that you could only push for so long before it finally worked."

"You should have stopped her. Or come to me," Solomon hollered.

"She's an adult. She has the right to choose her own path," Vincent said.

Solomon moved closer to Calvin and said, "Tell me you have a way to get a hold of her."

"I don't know what's going on, Doctor Zond. She didn't tell me anything."

"But you're-"

"-whatever you think we are, it's not..." Cal swallowed back his own worries that were creeping up his chest. Nikko was a goddamn magnet for trouble. How could she think this was a good idea? He glanced from Solomon to Vincent to Maggie, who had come rushing in when Solomon started hollering. Cal shook his head and said, "...we had a fight and I'm probably the last person she would confide in right now."

Solomon seemed satisfied with Calvin's answer. He spun on his heels and pointed to Maggie. He said, "Maggie, please run a trace on my daughter's phone. Let me know the second you find her." He pointed to Vincent and said, "You and I need to talk privately. Right now."

Cal covered his face with his hands and groaned. Nikko was so fucking stupid sometimes. Throwing tantrums and rushing off...wasting their time in hopes for attention.

Maggie shook her head and said, "Anyone with half a brain saw this coming."

"She's just being Nikko. She's holed up at her favorite coffee shop and once she feels we've all suffered enough, she'll come strolling in here and everything will be fine," Cal replied. He didn't really believe it. Recalled the way Nikko had hugged him the other day and why hadn't he pushed things? He had known something was wrong. He knew her, was well aware of how impulsive she could be when she felt hurt or backed into a corner, and he had let her go anyway.

"I don't think so, Cal."

"Maggie..."

Maggie sighed and shot Cal an incredulous look. She said, "For such smart men, you and Solomon are the two stupidest people I've ever met when it comes to matters of the heart. It surprises me he managed to snag a woman like Haley." Maggie stepped into Cal's personal space and tapped him on the top of the head before adding, "And any other girl would have given up on you long before Nikko did."

"What are you-"

"You love her, Calvin, and she loves you. It's obvious to everyone except you. Hell, even Solomon picked up on it."

"He did? But that's..." Cal stopped himself before he denied it again. He did love Nikko. It didn't make any sense at all. She infuriated him on an almost-hourly basis and could be such a brat when she dug her heels in or her daddy issues decided to wreak havoc on her brain. Trouble always found her and she seemed to delight in it at times.

But she was also kind and funny, probably the most loyal person that Calvin had ever met. It wasn't something he had expected early on, but Nikko's protective nature could put her father's to shame. She was super-smart, no matter how much she pretended otherwise, and wasn't afraid to challenge Cal all the time. She was probably one of the few people that could get Cal to loosen up and laugh after a rough day. She was also beautiful, even if she hid it behind cargo pants, tee-shirts, and work boots, and Calvin had spent several hours of his life fantasizing about getting her out of those clothes.

"Oh, is it dawning on you? Finally," Maggie commented.

"I didn't...I mean I knew that I...it wouldn't work, Maggie."

"Why?"

"What?"

"You love each other, Cal. She's made you better. You're not so stuck in your head all the time.   She brought you out of your shell and challenged you. And you centered her. She hasn't been that bratty girl for a long time and a lot of that is because of you. Those are good things," Maggie replied.

"Until she does something stupid and gets herself hurt. Until something horrible happens and I lose her," Cal countered.

Maggie motioned around the place and said, "How did that work out for you?"

Cal bit down on his lip. His head was pounding and his chest ached and he really wanted to destroy something at the moment. He grabbed his bag and said, "I'm gonna lay down."

**

Cal kicked off his sneakers and pulled the letter out of his bag. He stared at the envelope for a long time, debating on whether he even wanted to go down this rabbit hole. Cal and his feelings for Nikko weren't a fix-all. She and Solomon still had a bunch of crap to deal with and she had a right to her own life outside the one her parents chose for themselves and she got sucked into. Maybe Cal needed to let her go. He had made his decision, right or wrong, and maybe he didn't have a right to want to hunt her down and scream at her for doing this to him.

His life had been so much simpler before a bratty teenage girl came over to him, wearing an ugly prep school uniform, and asked if her dad was Batman. He should have known he was doomed from that first day.

He rested the envelope on his head, but quickly shoved it under his pillow when there was a knock at his door.   "Yeah?"

Vincent opened the door and peered his head around, taking in Cal with an indifferent look. He asked, "You okay?"

"Any word?"

"She's not missing, Cal. She's gone," Vincent responded like it was something to be expected. Maybe Maggie was right. Maybe everyone but he and Solomon had seen this coming.

"Why?"

"Why do you think?"

"Because I'm an idiot?"

Vincent cracked a smile and said, "You are. You're not the only one."

"Good to know."

Vincent tossed him a piece of paper. He said, "She's at her friend's place until tomorrow when she finishes up finals and then she's decided to go to Italy. I have a friend there that's offered to give her a place to stay and train her."

Cal picked up the piece of paper and asked, "Why are you giving this to me and not Solomon?"

"I thought you might want to let her know how you feel before it's too late, but that's your call to make. Just don't give that information to Solomon."

"He'll be pissed."

"He's mad at himself, not me or even Nikko," Vincent replied, shooting Calvin one of those looks that Nikko used to say was his I-see-your-every-thought-grasshopper kinds and closed the door.

Cal pulled the letter out from under his pillow and held it up in one hand, balancing it against the crumpled piece of paper Vincent had given him in his other. It was a no brainer and that terrified him to his core.

**

Cal came down the stairs of the brownstone and found the doors to Solomon's office open. He considered going inside to check on him, to see if maybe Nikko had contacted him after all, but Solomon was staring at the monitor intently so Cal decided to leave him to his work.

"Cal?"

Cal turned and move into the office. "Yeah, Doctor Zond?"

Solomon leaned back in his chair and shook his head. He said, "When Nikko was five years old, she told me she was going to marry her classmate, Jack Wyatt. She was very adamant about it. Haley thought it was adorable. When I didn't share that sentiment, my wife pointed out to me that our daughter wouldn't always be ours and that we had to enjoy the time with her while we could. I haven't done the best job of that."

"Okay?" Cal replied, unsure of where this conversation was going.

"If I'm going to lose my daughter to someone, Cal, I can't think of anyone better than you. The age difference worries me, but you're both adults. You're a good man and I know you care about Nicole."

"Me? I don't-"

"-life is short, Cal, and I'm not going to stand in the way of my daughter's happiness...or yours for that matter."

"Doctor Zond-"

"-my daughter pointed out the other day that I want her to grow up, but then I tighten the reins and don't let her live her own life. She might have been right about that. She's an adult and, as Vincent reminded me a few hours ago, she's got her mom's spirit and my stubbornness. I have to let her make her own choices and trust that she knows what's best for her."

"Shouldn't you be saying this to Nikko?"

"I will. At least, I hope I can when she decides to check in, but I wanted you to know that I'm not going to interfere."

"She and I aren't-"

"-not interfering," Solomon said, waving him off.

"I'm confused."

"Sounds like it."

"Sir?"

"You can do whatever you want with that information. Just don't use me as an excuse not to pursue something you want. Because I-"

"-you won't interfere? Yeah, got it. Thanks," Cal said with a small smile.

"If someone had told me that I would lose Haley so soon and gave me the choice to walk away to avoid the anguish, I still don't think I would have done anything differently. I wish I could've had more time with her, but every second I had with my wife was worth the grief that came later."

Cal nodded. Sometimes he was as guilty as the others about Doctor Zond, thinking he was oblivious to anything that didn't help him uncover the mysteries of the universe. The man was much more on top of things than he let on.

Cal eyed the front door and Solomon shot him a knowing look as he asked, "You going somewhere?"

Cal squeezed the piece of paper in his pocket and said, "Yeah."

Solomon stood up and walked toward Cal. He squeezed his shoulder and said, "Good luck."

Cal watched him walk off, slightly stunned, and tried to figure out what exactly had happened. Cal was pretty sure Doctor Zond had given him permission to date his daughter and aside from it being weird, it was also a relief. He respected Doctor Zond and he loved his job; and Nikko deserved more than the two of them sneaking around, hiding whatever this thing was. Now that wouldn't be necessary, if there was still a thing to survive his idiocy.

**

Cal wasn't sure what he expected when he reached the fourth-floor walk-up apartment where Nikko was apparently crashing, but it wasn't a shirtless Adonis with chiseled abs, eyes almost as blue as Nikko's, and a beard. The man towered over Calvin, who wasn't short by any means, and eyed him wearily. He said, "You don't have the pizza."

"What?"

"Are you not delivering our pizza?"

"I think I have the wrong-"

"-Chuck?"

He groaned because she had to use that nickname in front of Man too Handsome to be Real. The man looked from him to Nikko with an amused look and said, "You know him?"

"No, I just randomly call people 'Chuck' to amuse myself," she responded.

The guy glanced at Calvin again and opened the door a bit more so Nikko could slide in under his arm. The man was way too comfortable in Nikko's personal space for Cal's liking, but he couldn't make his voice work as his eyes locked on Nikko. She was wearing leather pants and a small halter top that accented her curves in all the right places. She was wearing glittery makeup and her hair was perfectly coiffed. This version of Nikko looked like she fit perfectly with the man at the door, like maybe she was made for a completely different life.

She snapped her fingers in front of his face, amusement and something else flickering in her expression, and he squawked out, "Hey Nicky."

"Really?"

"Sorry, I should go."

"What did you want?" Nikko asked, grabbing a hold of the cuff of his jacket. When the hell had she gotten so strong? And how was he supposed to think when she smelled so good and looked like that? She let out a slow, deliberate breath and replied, "Cal? You okay?"

"This was probably a bad idea."

"Vincent has a big mouth. I should've expected this," she said. She disappeared into the apartment for a second and reappeared wearing a leather jacket. She pointed at Ben and said, "Don't start without me."

"Pizza waits for no one," he replied, smacking her ass in a way that made Calvin want to pummel the guy.

Nikko grabbed Cal's hand and yanked him toward the stairs. She said, "Some of the tenants put a couch and a few chairs up on the roof. I’ve watched Ben’s band practice up there a few times."

"Of course he's in a band," Calvin muttered.

"He wrote me a song, or so he says. It sounded more like it was about his dog though," Nikko commented.

"Did he manage to put a shirt on while he performed it or does he think he's Jim Morrison?"

"Careful, Chuck, someone might think you were jealous," Nikko commented as she typed in a code and opened the door to the roof. She sat down on the sofa and motioned for him to sit down.

He had planned what he wanted to say on his entire cab ride to the building, but now words were escaping him. He just wanted to get his hands on her, run his fingers through her hair and kiss her senseless until she forgot the perfect specimen waiting for her downstairs. All this time Calvin thought she wasn't his type, but he was beginning to realize he might not have been Nikko's type either. She seemed to fit pretty well with the hipster musician who walked around without clothes. Maybe what she really wanted was a guy who could declare his undying devotion in song.

"Cal..."

"Right. Hi. You okay?"

"Me?"

"Last time I saw you, you were crying and then I find out you just left. No goodbyes, no nothing," Calvin replied.

“I left you a letter.”

“I figured that out after the fact.”

“So you get why I had to leave,” Nikko responded, annoyance seeping into her tone.

“I didn’t read the letter. I was about to when Vincent gave me this address and suggested I talk to you,” Calvin replied. He sat down next to her and said, “I still wish you had told me you were leaving. Let me know you were that unhappy.”

She glared at him and replied, "Why would I - you made things pretty clear, Cal. I'm not your type. I'm icky and young and immature-"

"-I didn't say that. You are young and definitely immature-"

"-yay, so glad to replay _this_ conversation-"

"-but I wouldn't...you're gorgeous, Nicky.   I would never call you 'icky' because it's not true."

He saw some of her defenses go down, but she really was the most willful person on the planet. Her expression was indifferent as she replied, "Good to know. We done here?"

"Jesus, you can't give an inch, can you?" he said, standing back up and pacing back-and-forth. He shook his head and pointed to her. “For the record, this is why I was…you drive me nuts and I’m not sure all this bickering is healthy.”

"Are you kidding me right now?" Nikko responded, jumping up off the sofa. She looked like she was about to punch him before she started pacing in front of him. She shook her head and said, "Wow. You're such a fucking guy."

"That seems to be the general consensus, yes," Cal replied.

Nikko rolled her eyes and shot him a droll look. "You know what I mean."

"Rarely, Nicky, do I know much of anything when you're around these days," Cal conceded.

That seemed to startle her and she turned to look at him. Her face scrunched up and there was fond exasperation in her expression. She curled her hands into fists at her side and she said, "I don't know if I want to beat you senseless or kiss you."

"I doubt your GQ Model boyfriend would like the kissing, but I'm not really on board with having my ass kicked by a nineteen year old girl."

"Twenty. Today's my birthday," she replied, motioning to her outfit like that explained anything.

He groaned because he knew that. He had even bought her something before all this crap came to a stupid head. He said, "Happy Birthday."

"Yeah, sure."

"Nikko, I'm-"

"-I'm not upset about the birthday. Or anything else. I just...the definition of crazy is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome, Chuck. I keep trying to matter to you and my dad, and it's tiring. So I'm sorry that I pestered you and made you uncomfortable."

"-I didn't-"

"-but I wasn't just using you to upset my dad-"

"-I never-"

"-I cared about you. I had for a long time and I get that I'm younger and you probably date women more like Juliet than me...I realize I'm a handful and-"

Cal threw his hand over her mouth. He said, "For god's sake, Nikko, would you let me get a word in? Please."

She shut her eyes and nodded. He brushed his fingers along her jaw and said, "Thank you. If I tried to wait you out, we'd be here all night." She looked like she was about to respond and he added, "Uh-uh. Quiet. I get to talk now."

She opened her eyes and looked right at him in a way that was unnerving and comforting at the same time. Calvin realized he really was an idiot for thinking he could walk away from this. He pushed a few loose strands of hair back off her face and said, "I love you, Nikko. I realize everything I've done recently might make it seem like that wasn't the case, but it's true. I've been in love with you for awhile and it scares me. I watched the last woman I cared about die in front of me and that would seem like a day at the beach if I lost you."

"Cal..."

"...I mean it. Your recklessness scares me and no one drives me crazy like you do, but I can be myself around you and you've always had my back. We're a good team when we want to be...when I'm not screwing everything up."

"And everyone says I'm the broken one," she replied. She grabbed Cal's hand and said, "I love you too, Cal."

"Yeah?" he replied, cracking a smile. He motioned to the door and asked, "What about the wannabe rock star?"

She eyed him over with amusement. She pulled him into her personal space, wrapping her arms around his neck, and pressing kisses along his jaw. She said, "I find nerds much hotter."

He groaned and said, "I'm not a nerd."

"Dork? Geek? Pain in the ass?" she offered, accentuating each one with another kiss.

He grabbed her chin and crushed their lips together, trying to convey everything he was never good at expressing.   Nikko's fingers trailed up and down Cal's chest as he tightened his hold on her, his hands sliding around her neck and down her back.  Nikko was soft and warm against him, fitting into his arms like she had always belonged there. When they pulled back, Nikko smiled tenderly at him and it caused his chest to ache.

Cal hugged her tight, trying to keep his brain from ruining the moment, and shut his eyes as Nikko’s fingers carded through his hair. She kissed his shoulder and said, “You’re so lucky I love you, Cal.”

“Yeah, I am,” he replied.

She rolled her eyes, but he could tell she was happy, not pissed off. She said, “Ben and I were going to go celebrate my birthday.”

“My first request as your boyfriend-“

“-you’re my boyfriend now?”

He nodded and said, “If you’ll have me.”

She looked him over in a way that caused heat to flood through him and she said, “I guess. I’m pretty attached to you after all this time. You’re like a fungus that way.”

“Thanks Nicky.”

She shrugged and asked, “So what’s this first request?”

“You don't go out with pretty boy and let me take you out for dinner instead.”

“I think I can handle that.”

“Hope your pal won’t be too upset.”

“You totally want him to be upset,” she countered, taking his hand in her own and holding it.

He squeezed her hand and said, “Maybe a little. He seemed way too handsy with you for my liking and it’s not that hard to throw on a shirt before you answer the door.”

“Have you seen his abs, Cal? Guys like that should never wear shirts,” she replied.

He kissed her and said, “If I talked about a girl like that, Maggie would murder me.”

“Probably,” she replied, pulling him toward the door.

Before she could open the door, Cal pinned her to the wall and kissed along her neck. The thought that they could have been doing this for months if he hadn’t been an idiot passed through his mind before all he could process was Nikko in his arms doing that thing with her tongue.

Nikko pressed her hands into his chest and said, “We are not hooking up out here, Cal. It’s freezing and you promised me dinner.”

He chuckled, his voice slightly husky and cracked.   He kissed her forehead and said, “You know I’m not letting you go for anything now, right? I love you and you’re stuck with me.”

“I like the sound of that.”

“And if you insist on going to Italy-“

“-curse Vincent and his big mouth. I just needed to get out of here. I was…I mean, I am…in love with you and I figured I needed to deal with that in a place where I wouldn’t have to see you all the time. And my dad and I…he means well, but he still treats me like I’m fifteen years old.”

“I didn’t mean to hurt you. This thing between us freaked me out and I thought I had ruined everything.”

"What changed your mind?"

"I missed you and didn't like the idea of not seeing you and fixing things. Maggie pointed out that I was an idiot. Vincent agreed that I was an idiot albeit a little more subtly. And then your dad...he said some stuff. Told me he wouldn't interfere and that I was a good man."

Nikko's eyes widened and she said, "You told my dad you cared about me before you told me?" She slumped against the door and groaned. "That figures."

Cal chucked her chin and forced her to meet his gaze. He said, "I think it was his way of removing any of my excuses for not going after you. He's my boss and he could make this really hard on me if he wanted to, but he's not."

"My dad knows we're..."

"...Your dad is not completely oblivious, Nikko. I think it's just easier for him to pretend to be that way with you, but I really don't want to get into that, especially not now," Cal replied.

She intertwined their hands and held it up. She said, "Fine by me." She pressed a quick kiss to his cheek and added, "And I might be willing to postpone Italy for the time being."

"Yeah?"

"You will totally owe me. Dinner's a good start, but I'm thinking there will need to be lots of dates and nights that do not involve dead mummies or ancient relics."

He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. He said, "Deal."

She looked him over and asked, "You scared?"

"Fucking terrified, but you're worth it," Cal replied. He pulled her back against him and opened the door. He motioned to the stairs and said, "Let's go celebrate your birthday."

 {fin}


End file.
